BENGALURU : Taking yet another step towards ensuring a greener campus, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) will now see the services of a two-wheeler rental platform in the premises. Bounce, a bike and scooter rental app, launched 150-200 bicycles in the IISc campus on Tuesday. The number is expected to increase to 500 bicycles in the next six months. The initiative comes shortly after e-rickshaws were launched in the campus last month.
IISc signed an agreement with Bounce last week, and 30 zones were identified in the premises for pick-up and drop of the bicycles.
“Locations have been identified at parking areas, in front of each block, etc,” Shamanth, a spokesperson for Bounce, said. “The institute has a good population where people walk around from one place to another. Since the campus wants to go green, bicycles are the best option to commute within the campus. If this goes successfully, we will look at other campuses, such as colleges and private companies, which want to adopt environment-friendly travel.”
The bicycles are geocentric, that is, the mode is restricted within the campus. The cost of renting the bicycles will remain the same as other areas of the city, at Rs 3 per 10-minute ride.The whole aim of the institute is to reduce use of motorised vehicles by offering alternative sustainable options, said Ashish Verma, professor of transportation engineering, IISc.
“Students will find this system cost-effective as compared to purchasing new cycles just to commute in the campus. It was a problem earlier since students used to abandon their cycles in the campus, creating a junkyard here,” he added.
The institute is also looking at other active modes of transport, Verma said. “E-rickshaws attract people with luggage, or senior citizens, etc. But for youngsters, we would like to encourage active modes and safer means. We are looking at pedal-assisted electric bikes, but are open to options,” he told CE.